Category Archives: Siu Lim Tao

Summary of Siu Lim Tao movement sequence. The table summarizes Siu Lim Tao movement sequence for all three sections (for both hands). Each movement spelled in Simplified Chinese with Cantonese pronunciation and English translation. Please keep in mind that the movement sequence might be different from lineage to lineage.

Unimpressive as it may look, the essence of Wing Chun is actually embedded in Siu Lim Tao form. You cannot possibly execute the other forms without a firm foundation of Siu Lim Tao, which outlines all the principles of Wing Chun. If you don’t understand Siu Lim Tao, you will never understand Wing Chun. If you rush through it while learning, you will pick up bad habits. The bad habits remain with you all through your Wing Chun life.

Siu Lim Tao contains all the basic hand movements used in Wing Chun: Taan Sau (攤手), Wu Sau (護手), Fuk Sau (伏手) and Bong Sau (膀手). Practicing Siu Lim Tao achieves a number of goals: it defines the centreline and teaches students where their hands should be relative to it, reinforces the correct elbow position, facilitates force generation in short range Wing Chun movements and teaches students how to execute Wing Chun movements correctly.

The meaning of Siu Lim Tao name can be translated as follows: Siu means little and in this case means minimal. Lim (sometimes pronounced as Nim) means thought (idea) and Tao means way. So together in this context, the whole name of Siu Lim Tao means a way to minimize your thought. The meaning is to try to empty your mind and concentrate on your practice. Therefore, Siu Lim Tao is both internal and energy training. It is also Gung Lik (功力) training. In Cantonese, Gung means work and Lik means strength. Together they mean to work on your strength or building your strength. Siu Lim Tao is the basic form of the Wing Chun Kuen system. Without practicing Siu Lim Tao, your Wing Chun skills will not be good.

Comments Off on Siu Lim Tao – Stillness
Posted by Wooden Dummy on June 11, 2003

Laozi’s Dao De Jing mentions how the world was created and also how things work. Wing Chun Kuen was created from nothing and from Wing Chun Kuen many Wing Chun skills have been created. Then these Wing Chun skills will go back to nothing. This is how nature works you were born from nothing, then you do a lot of things in this world, finally you die and go back to nothing.

“Everything is created from nothing and also created by something.” – Dao De Jing

When you study Wing Chun Kuen, the first thing you have to learn is the form “Siu Lim Tao”. The first part of the form you have to do very slowly. Many people wonder why this is. Some will think that Wing Chun is a martial art, which is supposed to be quick and powerful. There are other people who will think the opposite, that this is Qigong training that will help to make you powerful, particularly your one-inch punch.